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The Bold Fisherman

[ Roud 291 ; Laws O24 ; G/D 4:834 ; Ballad Index LO24 ; VWML RoudFS/S142925 , CJS2/9/1231 ; Bodleian Roud 291 ; Wiltshire 554 , 730 ; trad.]

The New Penguin Book of English Folk Songs The Folk Handbook The Life of a Man The Ploughboy's Glory

E.J. Moeran collected Bold Fisherman from Norfolk labourer Harry Cox in January 1922, and this was published in the Journal of the Folk-Song Society 7 (1922) pp.21-22 [ VWML RoudFS/S142925 ] . Moeran also recorded him in 1934 in London for a Decca 78rpm album. It was the first folk song record issued by the EFDSS of a traditional singer. This recording was also included on the anthology Come Let Us Buy the Licence: Songs of Courtship & Marriage (The Voice of the People Series Vol. 1, Topic 1998) and on the World Music Network compilation The Rough Guide to English Roots Music. Cox also sang Bold Fisherman in October 1965 in a recording made by Leslie Shepard, which was included in 2000 on his Topic anthology The Bonny Labouring Boy.

A.L. Lloyd sang The Bold Fisherman on his and Ewan MacColl's 1957 Riverside album Great British Ballads Not Included in the Child Collection. This track was reissued in 2011 on his Fellside anthology Bramble Briars and Beams of the Sun. Kenneth F. Goldstein commented in the original album's booklet:

At first reading, this ballad may not appear to be unlike several others that tell of a young man meeting with a person of high degree whose status is not immediately apparent to her. Lucy Broadwood, however, found it to be the remains of an allegorical legend from early Christian mythical literature (see JFSS, V, pp. 132-135). Variants of this song make reference to the Royal Fisherman, the three Vestures of Light, the Recognition and Adoration by the illuminated humble soul, and the free pardon leading to the mystical union of the bride and bridegroom in the House of the Father—all are familiar elements in the mystical symbolism of the early Christian Church.

To be sure such symbolism had lost all of its original meaning to the folksingers from whom the ballad had been collected since the end of the last century. To them, it was another love ballad, and in this form has come down in tradition to this day.

The earliest published version appeared in L.E. Broadwood and J.A. Fuller-Maitland's English County Songs, London, 1893, though it probably existed in tradition considerably earlier. Nineteenth century broadsides of the ballad have been found, but this in itself has supplied little information concerning the true age of the ballad. That is was popular in England is known from its wide distribution there. It is extremely rare in North America.

The version sung by Lloyd was learned from a recording made in 1936 for the English Folk Dance and Song Society by Harry Cox, traditional singer from Catfield, Norfolk.

Sam Larner of Winterton, Norfolk, sang The Bold Young Fisherman in a recording made by Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger in 1958-1960. It was include in 2014 on his Musical Traditions anthology Cruising Round Yarmouth.

The Bold Fisherman has also been in the repertoire of the Copper Family for a long time, but they (Bob, John, Jill and Lynne Copper and Jon Dudley) only recorded it in October 1987 for their LP Coppersongs: A Living Tradition. Bob Copper and his grandsons Mark, Andy and Sean Barrat sang it again on their CD Coppersongs 3: The Legacy Continues.

The Young Tradition sang The Bold Fisherman on their eponymous first album in 1966, The Young Tradition. They also sang it on 17 November 1968 at their concert at Oberlin College, Ohio, that was published in 2013 on their Fledg'ling CD Oberlin 1968. The original album's sleeve notes commented:

This song has been widely distributed throughout the country; versions have been collected from Harry Cox and the Copper Family. It appears to be a simple story of boy meets girl, with the boy turning out to be a lord in disguise. However, Lucy Broadwood puts forward the theory that the song contains an element of Christian symbolism in its origins: the girl is the sinful soul who meets Christ—the fisher of souls—and recognises him by his “chains of gold”. She begs forgiveness for her presumption, which is readily granted and she becomes the bride of Christ.

George Belton sang The Bold Fisherman in 1967 on his EFDSS album All Jolly Fellows ….

Alice Webb sang two verses of The Bold Fishing Man to Peter Shepheard in her caravan at Apperley Lock, near Tewkesbury, at Christmas 1968. This recording was included in 2007 on the Brazil Family's Musical Traditions anthology Down By the Old Riverside.

Tim Hart and Maddy Prior recorded The Bold Fisherman in 1969 for their second duo album Folk Songs of Old England Vol. 2. Their album notes comment:

Throughout early Christian mystical literature the Fisherman was one of the most recurrent symbols of the Christ figure. Lucy Broadwood also points out that “the Recognition and Adoration by a Humble Soul, the free Pardon, the Mystical Union of Bride and Bridegroom in the House of the Father”, are familiar elements of Christian tradition and can all be found in this ballad. These facts all weigh heavily towards the theory that this is an exceedingly ancient song of medieval allegorical origin whose former significance may have become meaningless to the singer who passed it on.

Alternatively it could be a very classic love story.

Shirley Collins learned The Bold Fisherman from the Copper Family too and recorded it during the sessions for her and her sister Dolly's 1970 album Love, Death & the Lady. But, like three others, this track was left out of the album and only found its way onto the 1994 and 2003 CD reissues. It was also included in the 4CD anthology Within Sound.

Walter Pardon sang The Bold Fisherman in a recording made in his home by Bill Leader, Peter Bellamy and Reg Hall on 15 June 1974. This was published in 2000 on his Topic anthology CD A World Without Horses.

Andy Turner sang The Bold Fisherman in 1990 on his cassette Love, Death and the Cossack. He commented in his liner notes:

Cecil Sharp collected a dozen songs in the Hamstreet area, on the edge of Romney Marsh in Kent, in September 1908. The majority, including The Bold Fisherman, came from James Beale of Warehorne; I have supplemented the words from the Copper Family version.

Bow Lewis sang Bold Fisherman on his 2003 CD The Painful Plough. He sang it live at the Fife Traditional Singing Festival, Collessie, Fife in May 2009. A recording of this concert was released a year later on his CD Drive Sorrows Away.

Tim van Eyken sang Fisherman in 2006 on his Topic CD Stiffs Lovers Holymen Thieves.

Rachael McShane sang The Fisherman with somewhat different verses in 2009 on her CD No Man's Fool and at the National Forest Folk Festival 2009:

Jon Boden sang The Bold Fisherman as the 7 March 2011 entry of his project A Folk Song a Day, giving Tim Hart and Maddy Prior as his source. He commented in his blog:

Sharron Krauss used to sing this at the Half Moon—always brought the house down. I've read a few strange articles claiming that this has something to do with Jesus. I suspect not.

Emily Portman sang The Bold Fisherman at the Fife Traditional Singing Festival, Collessie, Fife in May 2011. This recording was included a year later on the festival anthology The Little Barn of Yarn (Old Songs & Bothy Ballads Volume 8).

Sound Tradition sang Bold Fisherman in 2014 on their CD Blackbird.

Danny Spooner sang The Bold Fisherman on his 2014 CD Sailor's Consolation. He noted:

One can only guess where the origin of this song lies. Lucy Broadwood suggested that it was a secular version of a medieval hymn that recognises Christ the Fisher King. A version appears in Marrow Bones, EFDSS 1965. The version on this record is one I got from Bob Copper of Rottingdean.

Derek Gifford sang Bold Fisherman in 2015 on his WildGoose CD Songs from the Past … into the Future. He commented in his liner notes:

This is one of the first and finest English traditional songs I ever learnt and it has stood the test of time. Some say this song is the story of the marriage of Christ. This version was collected by Lucy Broadwood from a Mrs. Joiner of Chisnell Green, Hertfordshire in 1914.

Alex Cumming and Nicola Beazley sang Billy Taylor on their 2016 CD Across the Water. They commented:

A beautiful song about a young man and woman meeting at a river side. This version was collected [on 7 February 1906] by Cecil Sharp in Somerton, Somerset, from a Mrs Pike.

Vicki Swan and Jonny Dyer sang The Bold Fisherman in 2016 on their CD Paper of Pins. They noted:

Boy on boat sees girl on shore. Boaty-boy tries to woo shorey-girl. Shorey-girl is a bit resistant until she realises boaty-boy has money. Then she becomes boaty-girl. The end. Except for the addition of a rather appropriate (for a boaty-couple) hornpipe curiously named Hunt the Hog.

Kelly Oliver sang The Bold Fisherman on her 2018 CD Botany Bay. She noted:

Collected by Lucy Broadwood, sung by Mrs Joiner in Chisell Green, Hertfordshire, 1914.

A “pretty fair maid” mistakes a man of nobility for a fisherman and she is mortified when she realises the truth. Luckily, he has a sense of humour and takes her back to his home to marry her.

Ruth Notman and Sam Kelly sang Bold Fisherman on their 2019 CD Changeable Heart.

George Sansome sang Bold Fisherman in 2020 on his eponymous album George Sansome. He also released the song early as a digital single on 24 April 2020, with a launch gig on his Facebook page. He noted:

Cecil Sharp collected this song from John Fackrell (aged 75) in Bridgwater, Somerset on 5 April 1907 [ VWML CJS2/9/1231 ] . I came across it in The Crystal Spring—a selection of songs collected by Sharp and edited by Maud Karpeles—and then tweaked it in a few places.

There is some debate among folk song scholars over whether or not this song has its roots in a medieval Christian allegory. In this instance however it is a simpler, more earthly story of a chance meeting leading to a deeper connection. I was drawn to this song by its flowing tune, lovely rhythmic feel, and the succinct yet moving way its story is told.

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